Participation Waiver

The risks of handstand training, the health declaration we need from you, and what you are agreeing to before you train with us.

Last updated 31 August 2026

Read this properly. It is short on purpose. It affects your legal rights, and it is the basis on which we decide whether it is safe to coach you.

1. What this covers

This waiver applies to everything you do with Elliott Staley, trading as London Handstand Academy — online coaching and app programmes, one-to-one in-person sessions, and group workshops.

You accept it when you start coaching, book a session, or attend a workshop. If anything in your health changes afterwards, you need to tell us — an old declaration does not cover a new injury.

2. The risks, stated plainly

Handstand training means putting your body upside down and holding your weight on your hands. That carries a real and unavoidable risk of injury. Specifically:

Falling. Losing balance while inverted can mean landing on your wrists, back, neck or head.
Wrists. Sprains, strains and overuse pain are the most common complaint in this sport.
Shoulders and elbows. Strains, impingement and tendon irritation.
Neck and spine. Loading and compression, particularly in headstand and press work.
Blood pressure and dizziness. Being inverted changes blood pressure and can cause light-headedness or fainting.
Serious injury. Fractures, dislocations, concussion and, though very rare, injury that is permanent.
Your surroundings. When you train at home, unsupervised, on a surface we have not seen, the risk is yours to manage.

Good coaching reduces these risks. It does not remove them.

3. Your health declaration

By accepting this waiver you confirm that, as far as you know:

You are physically fit to take part in strenuous, weight-bearing, inverted exercise.
You have told us about every injury, condition, surgery or symptom that could affect your safety.
You are not aware of any medical reason you should not take part.

Tell us before you start if any of these apply

A heart condition, high or low blood pressure, or chest pain during exercise
Any condition affecting your eyes, including glaucoma or a detached retina
Dizziness, fainting, seizures or a history of concussion
A current or recent injury to your wrist, elbow, shoulder, neck or back
Any spinal condition, disc injury or spinal surgery
Osteoporosis or reduced bone density
An inner-ear or balance disorder
Pregnancy, or having given birth in the last six months
Any medication that affects blood pressure, balance or alertness
A recent operation, or anything a healthcare professional told you to avoid

Telling us does not usually mean we cannot work together. It means the programme gets built around it. Not telling us is the thing that gets people hurt.

If any of the above applies, get clearance from a doctor or physiotherapist before you start. We may ask you to.

4. We are not healthcare professionals

We are handstand coaches. We are not doctors, physiotherapists, osteopaths or any other kind of healthcare professional.

Nothing we give you — a programme, a form check, a message, a cue — is medical advice, diagnosis, treatment or rehabilitation. It does not replace advice from a qualified professional, and it should never be used instead of getting seen for an injury.

5. What you agree to do

Stop if it hurts. Pain is information, not something to push through. No drill is worth an injury.
Warm up as the programme asks, particularly the wrists.
Train somewhere safe — clear space, no hard edges, a floor you trust, and a wall that will hold you.
Work within your own level. Do not skip ahead to a stage you have not been given.
Tell us straight away about pain, a new injury or a change in your health, and update us before you resume after one.
Use your own judgement. You are the one in the room. If something feels wrong on the day, do not do it — we would always rather you skipped it.

6. What you are accepting

You confirm that you understand the risks in section 2, that you are taking part voluntarily, and that you accept the risk of injury that comes with handstand training done properly.

You agree that we are not responsible for an injury or loss that results from a risk inherent in the activity, from you not following the programme or the guidance, from you not telling us something about your health, or from the space you chose to train in.

What this waiver does not do. Nothing here removes or limits our liability for death or personal injury caused by our own negligence, for fraud, or for anything else the law does not allow to be excluded. You cannot sign those away and we are not asking you to. Your rights as a consumer are unaffected.

7. Under 18

Participants must be at least 16. If you are 16 or 17, a parent or guardian must read and accept this waiver on your behalf before you take part, and must confirm the health declaration for you.

8. Filming

Coaching involves filming yourself. Those clips are used only so your coach can give you feedback, and are covered by the privacy policy.

They are never used publicly without your separate, specific agreement. That is always optional and never a condition of coaching.

At in-person sessions and workshops we sometimes take photographs or video. If you would rather not be in them, tell us on the day and we will make sure you are not — no explanation needed.

9. Insurance

We hold public liability insurance for in-person coaching and workshops. [[INSURER AND POLICY DETAILS TO BE ADDED]]

You are responsible for your own personal accident or health insurance if you want it. We recommend it.

10. In-person sessions

For in-person sessions and workshops, please give us an emergency contact and tell us about anything a first-aider would need to know. If you are hurt and cannot tell us what you want, you agree that we may arrange emergency medical treatment for you.

11. Governing law

This waiver is governed by the law of England and Wales and should be read alongside our terms of service and privacy policy. If any part of it turns out to be unenforceable, the rest still stands.

12. Questions

If anything here worries you or you are not sure whether something applies to you, email info@londonhandstandacademy.com before you start. Asking first is always the right call.